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Local and Regional Government

May I help the hon. Gentleman with this part of his argument? The reason why the Government do not recall the Committee is that they have no need to, because they have already made up their mind about what they are doing. I draw his attention to what the Deputy Prime Minister said in the House on 8 November 2004, just after the referendum result, when he made his intentions clear:"““We will keep the regional assemblies, the regional development agencies and regional government. The regional dimension will form an essential part of this Government's policy to correct the economic differential between the north and south of this country. Let us be clear that that is our intention.””—[Official Report, 8 November 2004; Vol. 426, c. 592.]" That is their intention, so they have no interest in listening to anyone else.